Election Spending Will Be Big In 2026 With CTV’s Share Jumping 25%, AdImpact Says
Broadcast cointiues to get the lion's share of political spending, with $5.28 billion expeted to go to broadcast networks and stations
For most people these days, there’s only so much political news they can stand. So the idea that soon political advertising will be ramping up is enough to make one want to keep their heads under the covers–or throw a shoe at the TV.
“If you live in any of these states and you don’t like political ads, you should move out of these states,” said AdImpact CEO Kyle Roberts during a presentation at the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement conference in New York Wednesday.
Roberts was standing in front of a slide that showed a map of the U.S. with California, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Maine and New Hampshire lit up as battleground states.
In California alone, AdImpact expects to see political spending of $1.1 billion during the 2026 campaign year.
Nationally, AdImpact is forecasting that $10.88 billion will be spent on political advertising. That’s down 4% from the record $11.2 billion in political spending during the 2024 presidential election cycle. But it is 21% higher than the $8.9 billion spent during the last mid-term elections in 2022.
From a media point of view, connected TV is expected to be a big winner, with spending up even when compared to the 2024 levels. CTV will see $2.48 billion in spending in 2026, up from $2.34 billion in 2024 and $1.09 billion in 2022.
CTV is the only channel expected to see an increase from 2024.
Roberts said CTV is very local, and “most of the people selling CTV are accepting first-party data. When you're accepting first-party, you’re building custom audiences and you’re targeting very specific audiences.”
Despite CTV’s gains, broadcast will continue to get the lion’s share of political spending. AdImpact expected broadcast to air $5.28 billion in political advertising in 2026. That’s down from $5.36 billion in 2024 and up from $4.72 billion in 2022.
Political spending on cable is forecast at $1.29 billion, down from $1.37 billion in 2024 and $1.7 billion in 2022.
Local linear cable in particular will drop in share of political spending, Roberts said.
Cable is being out-localed by CTV, partly because of its use of first-party data to reach specific audiences, according to AdImpact. Cable remains an important part of the media mix, particularly in House and downballot races, it added.
Other digital spending is expected to be $1.43 billion, down from $1.7 billion in 2024 but up from $1.02 billion in 2022.
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Genius Sports said it acquired Sports Innovation Lab, a data company that provides analytics to advertisers and leagues looing for media targeting and strategies for optimizing sponsorship strategies.
Genius Sports is the official data, technology and broadcast partner for major sports and betting companies including the NFL, ESPN, DraftKings and EA Sports.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
“This acquisition is an important step in the continued growth of our media business,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports.
“By integrating the most comprehensive official sports data with unmatched fan intelligence, we are strengthening our foundation and providing partners with a powerful new way to understand and engage fans at scale,” Locke said “The Sports Innovation Lab acquisition transforms our media business, instantly extending our reach into an established customer network across multiple verticals. It positions us to lead the market, accelerate growth, and drive a step-change expansion of our customer base.”
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Amazon Ads said that the Amazon Marketing Cloud is now available to all advertisers running sponsored ad campaign, including sponsored products, sponsored display, sponsored brands or sponsored TVs.
The Amazon Marketing Cloud gives advertisers quick access to insights about audiences and campaign performance based on pseudonymized signals from billions of shopping, browsing and streaming actions.
"With this update, we’re making Amazon Marketing Cloud available to all sponsored ads advertisers,” said Aby Angilivelil, Director of Amazon Marketing Cloud at Amazon Ads. "They’ll now be able to easily access practical insights powered by AMC to drive measurable growth and build stronger connections with their most valuable customers."
Amazon plans to extend access to the Amazon Marketing Cloud to Amazon DSP users early next year.
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Samsung TV Plus launched BillbaordTV, an exclusive 24/7 streaming channel delivering music culture, breaking news, red carpet moments and live performances.
“With BillboardTV, we’re advancing our vision of Samsung TV Plus as a home for live exclusive content and cultural experiences,” said Salek Brodsky, senior VP & Global Head of Samsung TV Plus. “This new channel brings the full weight of Billboard’s influence into our ecosystem, giving fans direct access to the moments that matter, and is a powerful step in expanding our leadership as the go-to destination for premium entertainment.”
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The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement announced the launch of the CIMM Startup Program, which will select five new companies to join CIMM each year at no cost.
The organization also announced the start of the CIMM Innovation Showcase. Showcases will be held twice a year and feature a cluster of startups that will present an overview of their business and technology, followed by an audience question and answer session.
“Innovation is the backbone of everything we do – just look at our name: the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement,” said Jon Watts, Managing Director, CIMM. “With startups often being where transformative ideas originate, these initiatives are crucial. By creating structured ways to connect emerging companies with our members, we’re fueling the exchange of fresh thinking and practical solutions. We’re excited to deepen our focus on innovation through startups, while helping them grow and enabling our members to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.”